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The Gallery
The Gallery is a 1994 horror anthology film. The film received mixed reviews, and in spite of making its money back, its box office performance was considered a letdown. The film was released on VHS and is currently out of print. Production The film is a merger of short films made by the producers, each having a similar theme, along with footage of an unsold pilot. Having had pre-owned equipment, as well as using non A-list actors (along with additional hires coming from personal connections or past collaborations), little money was put into the film. On estimate, the film was initially produced for around $5,000, with an additional $10,000 for post production work. Plot Exhibition (Wraparound segment) Directed by Eugene Barris Five strangers, Leah (Lois Chiles), Vern (David Margulies) and Rice (David Early), Sid (Bob Hoskins) and Ving (Soon Tek-Oh) visit a private art exhibition, curated by a man named Mr. Park (James Hong), a dry humored individual. The five are drawn to various murals with a consistent theme; everyone is suffering. Unable to turn their attention away, Park decides to tell them about their origin. The Tab Directed by Mandy McDonald Moe and Liz (Daniel Beer and Susan Dey respectively) are struggling musicians who wind up in debt after getting fired from a reliable venue. Liz goes her own way and through an empty wish, comes across Satan (Freddie Jones). Realizing what she may get into, Liz immediately refuses to sell her soul, but Satan claims that he wants to involve her in a bargain; he won't steal her soul and will accommodate her on the condition she finds three souls for collateral. Liz proceeds to kill Moe after he pawned their stuff to pay for rent, and blaming him for them losing their gig, followed by their former manager (Howard Morris) and the latter's girlfriend Mabel (Annabel Kershaw) after she witnesses his murder. A year after the murders, Liz is given a mansion and a massive fortune but is overwhelmed with guilt over the murders. After a losing fight with her conscious, Liz reports herself to the police, but to her shock they merely put her on house arrest. Liz summons Satan and tells him that she wants to give her soul to him to get out of a now dead end life. Satan tells her that she is in Hell, having been shot by Mabel seconds before she succumbed to blood loss. He disappears as the environment changes. From Another Mother Directed by Hamilton Spiers Judge Thurgood Strand (Nick LaTour) is a pillar to a small African American community in Bethlehem. Behind closed doors, he is a black supremacist, having been tied to various attacks on white people which he hid through his connections and frequently writes off white defendants during court cases. After sentencing a defendant to a life sentence, Strand's secretary informs him that he has a visitor. The visitor is Troy (Will Estes), a white boy who claims to be Strand's son. Strand denies any connection to him and threatens to report him if he doesn't leave. Troy shrugs it off and tells him he'll meet him at home. Strand calls the police to stage a lookout by his house, but upon getting back, finds that Troy is inside. Strand reprimands the cops, but an officer claims that he didn't see Troy or anyone come in. Strand attempts to get Troy to leave while disproving him as his son, buy Troy insists that he had always been his son. Strand calls his estranged wife for help and she claims that she should give Troy a chance. When questioning whether or not his conflict is due to him hating the idea of having a white son, he curses her out and hangs up. The next morning, Strand finds himself in the midst of a smear campaign headed by four other African Americans (Grand L. Bush, Michael Jace, Teddy Lane Jr. and Laurence Mason) who attempt to bring his past into perspective and expose him as a hypocrite. During an attempt to clear his name, he becomes flustered when the matter of his children are brought up, and he refuses to answer whether or not he welcomes white people. Strand's reputation is destroyed and after a night at the bar, he encounters Troy. Strand chastises Troy and tries to get him out of the house, but Troy refuses. Strand kills Troy but more white kids enter the house. They reveal themselves to be casualties during Strand's supremacy days and Strand has a mental breakdown. A year after the breakdown, a family is driving past Strand's house, now abandoned and vandalized, and the mother recounts the aftermath of Strand's breakdown. Bleeding Heart Directed by Owen Emerson A trio of friends hate their headmaster, a World War II veteran named Gideon (Alex McAvoy), due to him being one step ahead of them whenever they cause trouble. One of the friends decide to steal his purple heart and destroy it, surprising him during a daily desk inspection where one of them will leave the destroyed medal in theirs. They manage to get it, but each are plagued with paranoia over the consequences of their deed. As they reflect on their fears, one of the boys wants to return the purple heart and is outed as a coward. The boy attacks the others and accidentally kills them after knocking their head into a rock. The other boy is promptly killed after he refuses to keep the murder between them. Gideon finds the boy and tells him that he could keep the medal, acknowledging his suffering and comparing it to his encounters during World War II. In the Vain Directed by Mavis Herd Regina (Olivia Hack) is a conceited and rude girl who views those less attractive and popular in the same vein as Southerners to black people. Regina is hosting a private party and invites Mitzi (Nicholle Tom), to the latter's shock as she feels she isn't in the same vein as Regina. In spite of her reluctance, Mitzi's friends and classmates encourage her to go just to get an idea on what her parties are like. During the party, Regina spends it obnoxiously mocking the other students, to the discomfort of her other guests. Mitzi leaves and meets up with the others, recounting her experience. She decides to host a different party to drive the guests away from Regina's and everyone agrees to help. To her delight, the plan works and Regina is left alone. Regina attempts to get in to Mitzi's party, but no one is willing to let her join. After various pleas, they agree, but use the opportunity to torture her, making her eat dog food, castrating and flaying her. At school the next day, Mitzi is hosting a private party and invites an awkward student. We're left to believe that history will repeat itself. A Harsh Lesson Directed by Elliot Strange Unlike the other stories, this one is entirely animated. Angela (Kelly Wolf) is a misanthropic girl who detests elders, thanks to a rough life with her current guardian Bell (E.G. Marshall). After an altercation with a guest speaker at her school, Angela is sent home and is reprimanded and humiliated by Bell. Angela has a tantrum and Bell takes her to a counselor. During a one-on-one meeting, the doctor tells her to confront the main source of her angst. Over the next few days, Bell encounters a series of accidents and believes that Angela is trying to kill him. She denies this, but Bell refuses to believe her. Per revenge, Bell nails Angela's clothes to a bench, causing her to go bare in front of her friends. Angela disappears after the event and during a search, the friends get killed by a mysterious individual. Bell goes crazy after witnessing the carnage and is cornered by the individual, getting nailed to the wall and injected with a chemical. Bell melts and merges with the wall, becoming a painting. Conclusion Taking the last story as a hint, Leah begins to panic, to the indifference of the others. Park reveals his intentions and tethers everyone to blank canvases, turning them into paintings.